The activity of cells can be regulated by external signals that stimulate or inhibit intracellular events. The process by which stimulatory or inhibitory signals are transmitted into and within a cell to elicit an intracellular response is referred to as signal transduction. Over the past decades, cascades of signal transduction events have been elucidated and found to play a central role in a variety of biological responses. Defects in various components of signal transduction pathways have been found to account for a vast number of diseases, including numerous forms of cancer, inflammatory disorders, metabolic disorders, vascular and neuronal diseases (Gaestel et al. Current Medicinal Chemistry (2007) 14:2214-2234).
Kinases represent a class of important signaling molecules. Kinases can generally be classified into protein kinases and lipid kinases, and certain kinases exhibit dual specificities. Protein kinases are enzymes that phosphorylate other proteins and/or themselves (i.e., autophosphorylation). Protein kinases can be generally classified into three major groups based upon their substrate utilization: tyrosine kinases which predominantly phosphorylate substrates on tyrosine residues (e.g., erb2, PDGF receptor, EGF receptor, VEGF receptor, src, abl), serine/threonine kinases which predominantly phosphorylate substrates on serine and/or threonine residues (e.g., mTor C1, mTor C2, ATM, ATR, DNA-PK, Akt), and dual-specificity kinases which phosphorylate substrates on tyrosine, serine and/or threonine residues.
Lipid kinases are enzymes that catalyze the phosphorylation of lipids within cells. These enzymes, and the resulting phosphorylated lipids and lipid derived biologically active organic molecules, play a role in many different physiological processes, including cell proliferation, migration, adhesion, and differentiation. A particular group of lipid kinases comprises membrane lipid kinases, i.e., kinases that catalyze the phosphorylation of lipids contained in or associated with cell membranes. Examples of such enzymes include phosphinositide(s) kinases (such as PI3-kinases, PI4-Kinases), diacylglycerol kinases, and sphingosine kinases.
The phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks) signaling pathway is one of the most highly mutated systems in human cancers. PI3Ks are members of a unique and conserved family of intracellular lipid kinases that phosphorylate the 3′—OH group on phosphatidylinositols or phosphoinositides. The PI3K family comprises 15 kinases with distinct substrate specificities, expression patterns, and modes of regulation (Katso et al., 2001). The class I PI3Ks (p110α, p110β, p110δ, and p110γ) are typically activated by tyrosine kinases or G-protein coupled receptors to generate PIP3, which engages downstream effectors such as the Akt/PDK1 pathway, mTOR, the Tec family kinases, and the Rho family GTPases. The class II and III PI3-Ks play a key role in intracellular trafficking through the synthesis of PI(3)P and Pi(3,4)P2. The PIKKs are protein kinases that control cell growth (mTORC1) or monitor genomic integrity (ATM, ATR, DNA-PK, and hSmg-1).
Downstream mediators of the PI3K signal transduction pathway include Akt and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Akt possesses a plckstrin homology (PH) domain that binds PIP3, leading to Akt kinase activation. Akt phosphorylates many substrates and is a central downstream effector of PI3K for diverse cellular responses. Full activation of Akt typically requires phosphorylation of T308 in the activation loop and S473 in a hydrophobic motif. One important function of Akt is to augment the activity of mTOR, through phosphorylation of TSC2 and other mechanisms. mTOR is a serine-threonine kinase related to the lipid kinases of the PI3K family. mTOR has been implicated in a wide range of biological processes including cell growth, cell proliferation, cell motility and survival. Disregulation of the mTOR pathway has been reported in various types of cancer. mTOR is a multifunctional kinase that integrates growth factor and nutrient signals to regulate protein translation, nutrient uptake, autophagy, and mitochondrial function.
Dysregulation of signaling pathways mediated by many kinases is a key factor in the development of human diseases. Aberrant or excessive protein kinase activity or expression has been observed in many disease states including benign and malignant proliferative diseases, disorders such as allergic contact dermatitis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, inflammatory bowel diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, asthma, disorders related to diabetic complications, and inflammatory complications of the cardiovascular system such as acute coronary syndrome.
As such, kinases, particularly protein kinases and PI3Ks are prime targets for drug development. The present invention addresses a need in the art by providing a new class of kinase inhibitors.